1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices that remove liquid from a food substance and, more particularly, to a stable device for draining liquid from canned goods in a single one-handed operation.
2. Description of Related Art
Many foods that are packaged in a can or other container either possess some liquid content or appropriate liquid is added during the packaging process. Tuna is an example of a food that is immersed in water or oil when it is packaged in a can for sale to consumers. A further consideration, addressed by the instant invention is that many canned solid foods, such as tuna, are, by the general public, believed to be packed in water or oil, this meaning, to the typical consumer, that the canned food is simply surrounded by the liquid. However, it has been found that most of the liquid within a can containing such a solid food product is retained by the product itself. That is, such a canned product is, typically, highly permeable so that the removal of water or oil from such a canned food is not simply a matter of opening the can and pouring off the excess liquid. Rather, it is necessary to, in some fashion, squeeze the excess liquid out of the product after the ambient liquid has been removed.
Various devices have been proposed for draining excess liquid from food that is packaged in a container. Although presumably effective, existing devices are not adapted for convenient or stable tabletop use or for single one-handed operation with low energy input, such as by people with disability or lack of normal dexterity.
Other straining devices heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of removing water from food are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,544 to Farley discloses a tuna squeezer and strain utensil comprised of a cup shaped with a cylindrical wall for conforming to the internal diameter of a standard can. U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,063 to Berg and U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,031 to Whitney discloses additional food presses for forcing liquid from a can.
In practice, most consumers accomplish the above steps by first opening the can, pouring out the visible excess liquid, and then pushing down on the severed lid of the can while the can is placed over the sink. In this process, the can is typically inverted to facilitate a more efficient draining of the water therein. It has been found, as is recognized in other prior art (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,063 (1994) to Berg, entitled Press for Forcing Liquid from Canned Solid Food) that the above procedure usually causes the thin lid of the can to bend which, as a result, causes an uneven pressure against the food product. As such, a significant portion of the canning fluid, i.e., water, oil or suspension thereof including particles of the food with water and oil, will remain in the food product. This is a particular problem with persons having poor strength in the fingers to accomplish the above procedure. Further, such uneven pressure also causes the lid to bend which can be source of injury to the user. As well, the pressing of the preservative liquid from a can of canned solid food can impart undesirable odor to the fingers and hands of the user.
The prior art, in the instant area, as is best known to the inventor is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,544 (1976) to Farley which is directed to a utensil defining a cup-shaped member that can fit within an open can and employs a perforated pressing wall portion that engages the contents of the can and squeezes the liquid therefrom through the perforations when the wall is forced into the can. The use of such a device is impractical for persons not having considerable manual dexterity.
The prior art is also reflected in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,063 to Berg. This reference defines a complex device that is not cost-effective to manufacture and market and which, as in the case of said reference to Farley, requires a high degree of manual dexterity for the consumer to operate.
Other art in the instant area known to the inventor is U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,245 (1995) to Short, entitled Food Press Apparatus with Bias Press Plate. The reference to Short is one which was designed for institutional use, e.g., by restaurants, hotels and the like, in that it constitutes a large, bulky and expensive piece of machinery which is impractical for use in a domestic household.
It will be appreciated that the prior art described thus far requires either one or two handed pressing to remove the liquid from the can. However, as pointed out earlier, the liquid is often embedded within the food. Thus, the pressure must be maintained for some reasonable amount of time. This can be a difficult task for many people.
The instant invention accordingly may be viewed as a response to the above long-felt need in the art for a device, for the removal of canned liquid from can food products, which is particularly suitable for use by the domestic consumer and which does not require any particularly degree of manual dexterity for the operation thereof; is easy to manufacturer; and easy to clean.
It will also be appreciated that there is a long felt need in the art for a device more useful than previous art due to its alignment and discharge of fluids directly into the drain of a sink.